Our celebration of Halloween has orignated from an ancient ritual involving a number of surprising twists full of intricate and fascinating details. These facts have been obscured by the passage of centuries.The revelation of this knowledge is captivating and enthralling.
First of all, the following fact may surprise you. ONE-FOURTH of all the candy sold annually in the US is purchased for Halloween. Exploring further, we discover the mystery involved in this ancient observance is wrapped in magic and superstition.
Activities With the Aim of Finding a Husband
Helping young women identify their future mate and be married by the following Halloween was one of the first practices of this ancient ritual. In 18th century Ireland, a popular practice was hiding a ring in the hostess’s mashed potatoes on this special night to hopefully bring true love to the finder.
Other competitive games baited the players by belief that the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut hunt would hopefully be the first to find a husband. Another was thatr the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle, and an additionalr one involvied the consumption of a concoction filled with walnuts, hazelnuts, and nutmeg. This supposedly possessed the ability enabling a young maiden to dream of her future husband. Of course, there are no statistics to prove whether these tales possess any validity or not.
Roaming Ghosts
2,000 years ago in the area that now includes Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, originating with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), the townspeople traditionally lit bonfires and wore costumes with the intention of protecting themselves from the roaming ghosts they feared. Samhain, October 31st, was the last day before the beginning of the new year, the next day, November 1st.
All Saints' Day
In the 8th Century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time of honor for saints and martyrs. This day, called All Saints’ Day, possessed similarities of Samhain. The preceding evening was designated as All Hallow’s Eve and then later simply as Halloween. The seasonal ‘new year of changing weather’ traditionally began on November 1st.
The Blending of the Two Beliefs
On the night of October 31st, the eve of the New Year, Samhain was celebrated. According the their belief, the dreaded ghosts of the dead returned to earth causing trouble and damaging crops. The boundary between the two worlds of the living and dead became blurred. The Celtic people believed that it was easier for the Druids (priests) to make predictions about the future during this time.
To commemorate the event, the Druid priests built huge sacred bonfires as the people gathered to burn crops and animals to Celtic deities. Afterward, they relit their hearth fires continuing their daily tasks. Gradually it evolved into a secular activity involving child-friendly activities, including costumes, sweet treats, and eventually, years later, the practice of ‘trick or treating.’
As Time Swept Past
In 43A.D. the Roman Empire conquered the majority of Celtic territory. The first established festival, Feralia, commemorated the passing of the dead. The second one honored Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees, and not surprisingly, was symbolized by the apple, curiously similar to the Halloween tradition of ‘bobbing for apples.’
In 609A.D. Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome honoring all Christian martyrs and All Martyrs’ Day was moved to November 1st. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had completely spread throughout the Celtic lands.
In 1000 A.D., the church made November 2nd All Souls’ Day, a day honoring the dead. The church had replaced the Celtic festival of the dead with a church-sanctioned holiday, but celebrated similarly to Samhain. It began to be called All-Hallows Eve, and eventually this fall festival, leading into winter, was established as Halloween.
Due to the rigid Protestant belief, this festival originating so long ago took time to resurface. It was more common in Maryland and the southern colonies than further north. With the rush of immigrants in the 2nd half of the 19th century, and the tremendous influx due to the Irish potato famine in 1846, Halloween’s popularity spread throughout the United States until...
Today, 8B is spent annually on Halloween, and is this country’s largest commercial holiday second only to Christmas!
Ancient Customs Still Alive and Well
It began as a Celtic end-of-summer rite and festival as people were bonding with deceased relatives and friends by setting a place for them at the dinner table. Treats were left on doorsteps, and candles were often lit in remembrance to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world. The belief and association of bad luck of such occurrences as walking under ladders, bad luck of black cats, slipping on cracks, and spilling salt are older than you think. Here is a brief history of the well-established custom of Halloween, meaning, “Hallowed or holy evening.”
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
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